For a company nearly left for dead two years ago, Mitsubishi is showing a lot of life. A pair of appealing new SUVs from the revitalized automaker should generate plenty of interest as they hit the market this spring.

The ★★★ Outlander plug-in hybrid going on sale now introduces a hot new technology to the compact SUV segment that’s taking the market by storm. The likeable and affordable little Eclipse Cross also will arrive, bidding to be the cool first car of a generation.

The Outlander plug-in is a five-seat SUV that’s about the size of the Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4.

The Outlander feels so much like the perfect vehicle for the times that it’s hard to understand why it was little Mitsubishi that built the first plug-in hybrid SUV, not a multimillion-selling brand like Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota or Volkswagen.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles, or PHEVs, are vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt that have batteries to carry them some distance and gasoline engines to provide the range for longer trips.

The Outlander PHEV has an EPA-rated 22-mile range on fully charged batteries, and a total of 310 miles when its 2.0-liter gasoline engine kicks in after the batteries are drained.

How much?

Because it’s the only plug-in hybrid SUV, the Outlander has no direct competitors. Its combination of emissions-free driving for short distances and the ability to drive coast to coast when the gas engine takes over makes it the only vehicle for buyers who want zero-emissions driving, all-wheel drive, SUV room and visibility, plus some towing capacity.

Prices for the Outlander PHEV start at $34,595 for a base model. That’s about a $2,300 premium compared with a similarly equipped Outlander without the PHEV system.

All Outlander PHEVs have a lithium-ion battery; charging ports for 120, 240 or 440 volts; all-wheel drive; a 117-horsepower 2.0L engine; and a pair of 80-hp electric motors, one linked to each axle.

Outstanding features

The Outlander’s all-electric mode consistently exceeded its EPA-rated 22-mile range on a charge when I drove the SUV in stop-and-go traffic on surface streets. You can select an EV-only mode that shuts the engine out, or allow the engine to turn on and off as needed, depending on conditions. You can also set a charging mode that allows you to top off the battery from the gasoline engine, or choose to minimize electric power, saving it for when you get to congested urban area where it’ll do you the most good.

The system operates smoothly in automatic mode.

The PHEV is almost unnervingly quiet when you’re driving in EV mode. There’s nearly no road noise trundling along surface streets at up to 45 mph.

Interior is roomy and comfortable. The instruments are big and clear, and the audio and climate controls have easy to use buttons and dials.

The non-hybrid Outlander has three rows of seats and can accommodate seven. The PHEV seats five. The battery and rear electric motor take up space under the floor that squeezed out the third seat.

Having seen the third-row in a non-PHEV Outlander, I’m comfortable saying most owners will miss it about as much as most post-op patients miss their appendix.

The downside

Mitsubishi won't provide the total power the hybrid system produces. One thing is certain: It's less than 277 horsepower you might expect if you added the gasoline engine's output to the two electric motors. Acceleration is not impressive. It feels closer to the 160 hp available from the electric motors alone.

The touch screen that operates infotainment and other features is too small for easy use in a moving vehicle. The touch points for saved radio stations, etc., are smaller and less sensitive than the best competitors.

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV(Photo: Mitsubishi)

Like a lot of automakers, Mitsubishi is experimenting with new shifter designs, and like a lot of cars, the Outlander PHEV’s could be better. The shifter itself is easy to use and understand, but the “park” button is inconveniently placed right in front of it, where it’s easy to miss because the driver can’t see it.

The lithium-ion battery pack and rear-axle electric motor take up a lot of space under the rear floor, creating a cargo area that’s smaller than most competing compact SUVs.

Specifications as tested

Engine: 2.0L 16-valve 4-cyl. engine, two electric motors

Power: 117 hp and 137 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm from engine, 80 hp from each motor

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Wheelbase: 105.1 inches

Length: 184.8 inches

Width: 70.8 inches

Height: 67.3 inches

Curb Weight: 4,178 lbs.

Where assembled: Okazaki, Japan

Facts and figures

The EPA rates the Outlander’s battery-only range at 22 miles. With the gasoline engine and a full tank, total cruising range is 310 miles.

The MPGe rating, which converts an electric vehicle’s energy consumption for the purpose of comparison to a vehicle with a conventional engine, is 74 MPGe.

Comparing to a couple of other plug-in hybrids, the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV minivan has an MPGe of 84; the Chevrolet Volt is 106. The all-electric 2018 Nissan Leaf, a small electric car, rates 112 MPGe.

When the engine running, the EPA combined city/highway rating is 25 mpg.

While the Outlander’s smaller batteries reduce its cruising range, they also reduce charging time. It takes 3.5 hours to fully charge the batteries with a 240v connect. Mitsubishi says an Outlander can get 80% charged in 25 minutes from one of the less common DC fast chargers.

The verdict

Mitsubishi got a new lease on life when the Renault-Nissan alliance rescued it from near-certain bankruptcy in October 2016.

The fact that the company developed a sophisticated and unique vehicle like the Outlander PHEV with the meager resources it had before joining the alliance is reason for optimism. Now that Mitsu’s part of the world’s largest automaker, there’s no telling what it may do.

Chevrolet is expected to add a PHEV version of its Equinox compact SUV in a year or so. It will be a disappointment if the new Toyota RAV4 that goes on sale later this year didn’t also offer a PHEV model. Until then, the Outlander PHEV stands alone.